Uralica
Typography Official Names *English - Tribal State of Uralica *Finnish - Heimovaltio Uralikan *Russian - Племенной Государственный Уралики *(More to be added as linguistic database grows) Official Short Names *English - Uralica *Finnish - Uralikka *Russian - Уралика *(More to be added as linguistic database grows) Demonyms *English - n. "Uralican(s)"; adj. "Uralican" *Finnish - sing. n./adj. "Uralikkalainen", pl. n. "Uralikkalaiset" (note: not to be confused with "uralilainen" which refers to the Uralic ethnolinguistic group on the whole, as opposed to citizens of Uralica) *Russian - n. "Ураличец"/"Ураличцы" (masc.) "Ураличка"/ "Уралички" (fem.), "; adj. "Ураликский" (masc. nom. form shown) *(More to be added as linguistic database grows) About Uralica Uralica is a nation from the Ural-Volga region of what was once Russia, and is a proud member of The Order of Light. Its capital is Syktyvkar and its currency is the Kanadalainen. It was originally founded on 18 March 2008, but its constitution was suspended 19 September 2008 because of external forces. However, the return of Jarkko Salomäki to Syktyvkar on 22 December 2008 marked a new beginning for the nation, within The Order of Light. The People With the present existence of Finland, Estonia, and Hungary, and the growing impingement of external societies upon the remainder of the Uralic peoples, Jarkko Salomäki, an ethnic Finn from Canada, began gathering together other members of the Uralic-speaking nationalities into a neo-tribal society, based on the principles of Christianity and commonalities in Uralic culture. This culminated in the foundation of Uralica, and it joined the Christian Coalition of Countries, an alliance its leader (then known as) KingJarkko agreed to join only some 24 hours after its official declaration of nationhood on 18 March 2008. The Christian leanings attracted the remnants of Mennonite societies in Russia as well. What resulted was a nation of astounding linguistic and racial diversity, united by a the common cause of a Christian life free from the shackles of any imperialistic influences. It is infamous for the fact that there are more official languages in this nation than in any other on Planet Bob (31, to be exact), however the people tend to use Finnish, Russian or even English when communicating between ethnic groups and in business. Still, in theory, Uralic languages as well as English, Russian, and the historic language of the Mennonites, Plautdietsch, ought all to have official status. Unfortunately, some languages (and even peoples) in the Uralic family are either extinct or close enough to it that this becomes impractical. In practice, the current official languages are as follows: Finnish, English, Russian, Plautdietsch, Hungarian, Kven, Tornedalen Finnish (Meänkieli), Karelian, Estonian, Võru, Livvi, Ludian, Veps, Komi, Permyak, Udmurt, East Mari, West Mari, Khanty, Mansi, Moksha, Erzya, Nenets, Nganasan, Selkup, Kildin Saami (Saam), Inari Saami (Sámi), Skolt Saami (Saame), North Saami (Saami), Lule Saami (Lule), Southern Sami, and Chuvash. There are also several other recognised minority languages spoken. These include Bashkir, Tatar, Yakut, French, Hebrew, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Enets, Latvian, Yukaghir, and the last-known speakers of Vod, Liv, Ume and Pite Sami, and Ingrian. There are almost no monoglots in Uralica, with 99.50% of the population speaking at least three languages (usually Finnish, English or Russian, and another Tribal language), and an impressive 63.99% of the population speaking at least four languages. The most common language pairing among the small number of bilinguals was Russian and Komi, while the even smaller number of monoglots all falls above the age of 65, of whom all are speakers of smaller languages such as Nganasan and Selkup. The most-spoken language is, surprisingly, Finnish, spoken by all but ninety-eight of Uralica's population. English and Russian are also very common, spoken by over eighty percent of the population each, however only 55% speak both. Of these, 100% (according to census) also speak Finnish. Another interesting development in Uralica is that all languages are put to both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets by default. This has made reading some languages rather interesting! See: Uralican Alphabet Reforms One past criticism of Uralica was that there were very few Hungarians (who are Uralic) who resided in the nation, however KingJarkko factored this down to their relative isolation from the rest of the Uralic ethnolinguistic family (due to historical issues) and had extended invitations to any who are willing to join. More recently, this criticism has been shot down as a large number of Hungarians moved into Uralica at the end of May and beginning of June, taking Jarkko Salomäki up on his invitation. As of 4 June 2008, Uralica had given the Hungarian ethnicity Tribe status and the made the Hungarian language official. Although the ideals of Christianity are the basis of the nation, there are also a number of practicing Jews (mainly Russian with the odd number of Finns, Hungarians, and Estonians) who comprise roughly 2.5% of the population (roughly 1 in 40). These Jews are often credited with keeping the infrastructure running as they observe Sabbath from Friday night to Saturday night and work on Sunday when the Christian majority observes a day of rest (with an exception noted below). One notable Uralican Jew is Russian Jew Dr. Ovdey Shlomov, one of the four Russian representatives on the Uralican Tribal Council (see below), who is one of Jarkko Salomäki's most trusted advisors in terms of educational matters. His nephew, Dinamo Kirov striker Khavkuk Shlomov, is probably Uralica's best-known footballer besides Salomäki himself. As for the Christian majority, it is quite diverse in its traditions. A number of formerly shamanistic peoples (the Samoyeds, Nenets, and Ob Ugric peoples for example) are now predominantly Uralican Evangelical Baptist, and KingJarkko actually commissioned the translations of the first full Bibles in their languages. The Russian Christians are Russian Orthodox for the most part with a minority of Uralican Evangelical Baptists. The European Finns, Saami, Karelians, and Estonians, originally Evangelical Lutherans, are predominantly Uralican Evangelical Baptist, although the Livonians, because of their close proximity to the Latvians and Lithuanians, are mostly Catholics (as are the Hungarians). The Mennonites are obviously Mennonites, however the similarity of the Uralican Evangelical Baptist movement to their tradition means many of them will attend those services. The North American Finns are quite varied, as are the Komis, Udmurts and "Volgaic Finns" (Mari, Mordvins). Uralican Evangelical Baptistism is known as the largest denomination in Christianity that has services on both Saturdays and Sundays. Many UEB churches in Uralica will have four services on any given weekend. The people of Uralica take pride in their education. Their first university was called Uralikan Yliopisto and is well-known for its wide selection of courses and fields of study. In a recent survey it was the top-rated religious-oriented university on Planet Bob and in the top 500 universities overall. The Cities The 20 largest cities and towns in Uralica are: #Yekaterinburg #Perm' #Izhevsk #Kirov #Syktyvkar #Cheboksary #Nizhny Tagil #Arkhangel'sk #Yoshkar-Ola #Cherepovets #Vologda #Berezniki #Ukhta #Solikamsk #Glazov #Pervouralsk #Vorkuta #Severodvinsk #Serov #Votka These are obviously not the only settlements in Uralica. See Article: List of settlements in Uralica. The Geography Uralica, once completely landlocked, now has a modest coastline along the Arctic Ocean. That said, its only true seaport currently is the Combined Harbour, which sits in and between Arkhangel'sk and Severodvinsk, which sit on the southeastern tip of the White Sea. Naryan-Mar sits on the Barents Sea, however the ice in the area freezes over in the winter, making it unsuitable for year-round navigation. On top of this, the Vychegda (Finn. Vikitta) River flows through Kotlas and also through the northern suburbs of Syktyvkar, while one of its tributaries, the Sysola (Finn. Sussola) River flows through the main city itself. The Tivina (Russ. Северная Двина ,Engl. sometimes Northern Dvina) River connects at Kotlas, which also connects to the Sukhona (Finn. Suhona) River, which flows through Isoustiuki and Sokol. The Tivina Delta is where Arkhangel'sk and Severodvinsk both lie, and is considered the most important estuarine entrance into Uralica. The Kama River flows through Uralica starting at the border of the old regions of Udmurtiya and Tatarstan, then circling north through Votkinsk Reservoir (Finn. Votkanjärvi, Russ. Воткинское водохранилище) and Kama Reservoir (Finn. Kamantekojärvi, Russ. Камское Водохранилище) between Perm' and Berezniki, and looping around towards Kainu before finally ending in the chernozem-rich plains north of Glazov. One of its tributaries starts within Tatarstan as well and makes its way north into Uralica by a different route. The Vyatka (Finn. Vijatka) River runs up past several minor centres and through Kirov, and it is important in the sense that it gives Uralica a point of trade with several nations to its south as the Vyatka eventually meets up with the Volga River (via the Kama River) and flows into the Caspian Sea. A tributary of the Vyatka, the Cheptsa (Finn. Keppetta) River flows from Kirovo-Chepetsk east to Glazov, with its most navigable stretch ending at Belezino. The Izhma (Finn. Issimaa) River (which flows through Ukhta) connects to the Pechora (Finn. Pettora) River in the north. Intense pollution of the Pechora once made navigability of this river a bit trying at times, so it was seldom used for long-range navigation. However, a vastly expensive cleanup effort and the installation of waste-water treatment plants along the Pechora lessened this dramatically, and the Pechora River System (which ends at Naryan-Mar) There is also the lesser known Mezen' (Finn. Messeni) River in the north-east. There was a plan to establish a small harbour at its mouth once Uralica's borders reached that far, however the fact that the small bay the village of Mezen' sits on would freeze up during the winter put a kibosh on this. Yekaterinburg also has access to a major river system - the Ob-Irtysh - as it sits on the Iset River. However this river system on the whole freezes during the winter, so it isn't always ideal for transport. The area of Uralica in general is relatively flat (although the Ural Mountains run up the eastern border), making it ideal for growing crops in the fertile chernozem soils of the southwest. The northeast has poorer soil for crops and is mainly comprised of boreal forests and pastures. However, this area is very mineral-rich and has been exploited for marble, iron, silver, and various non-metallic minerals. As far as future expansion is concerned, unlike many nations, Uralica's land growth is capped. Shown below is the absolute maximum Uralica has allowed itself to take, which doesn't include many areas on conventional maps that some would say Uralica has claim to, notably the old regions of Kostroma and Novgorod Oblasts, and parts of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. Once Uralica attains this size, they will have three more decent-sized Arctic ports - Belomorsk and Kandalaksha on the White Sea and Murmansk on the Barents Sea - as well as Viipuri on the Gulf of Finland, giving them unfettered access to the Atlantic. It will also have claim to 90% of Lake Ladoga and 75% of Lake Onega. National Symbols *The Three Crosses (Finn. Kolme Ristea, Russ. Три Распятия) - the symbol of the nation's commitment to Jesus Christ. *National Flower - Cloudberry *National Bird - Eurasian Eagle Owl *National Animal - Eurasian Lynx See Also Holidays Of Uralica Uralican Alphabet Reforms Vorkuta Or Bust Saami Unified Orthography Politics in Uralica The Tribal Chief (Fin. Heimopäämies, Rus. Племенной Начальник) The Tribal Chief is elected directly by all the people, who have a single vote, and there is no ethnic division in voting. The term, as agreed via plebiscite, is for life, which is the main reason for the "neo-tribal" term coined to describe Uralica's modern spin on an ancient form of government. The Tribal Council (Fin. Heimovaltuusto, Rus. Племенное Совещание) The Tribal Council is elected to aid the Chief in governing the nation according to the needs of the people and the principles of Christianity. In accordance with Jarkko Salomäki's original vision of "unity in diversity," each ethnicity, or "tribe," has fourteen members (after finally reaching this maximum number on 4 August 2008), for a grand total of 238 members. Before Uralica's foundation, the intelligentsia of the Uralic ethnicities spent much time deciding what these Uralic "Tribes" would be. The final setup looked something like this: *Finns (including North American, Tornedalen, and Kven) *Estonians (including Võru-speakers) *Karelians *Russians *"Livonians" - speakers of Livvi, Ludian, and Veps *Ob Ugrics (Khanty-Mansi) *Komi (including Permyak) *Mordvins (Moksha-Erzya) *Udmurts *Mari (East and West) *Eastern Saami (Kildin, Inari, Skolt) *Western Saami (North, Lule, South) *Nenets *Samoyeds (Nganasan and Selkup) *Mennonites *Hungarians *Chuvash (ADDED 1 OCTOBER 2009) Often, the term "The Uralic Tribes" is used to refer to the people of Uralica collectively. (Fin. "Uralilainen Heimot," Rus. "Уралскые Племи") There are no fixed ministries as there are in conventional modern governments. Instead, if any particular Council member(s) have useful insights on a given situation, they can speak on it freely with the Chief, whether it be in-session or in-person outside the Council Chambers. Tribal Boards Each of the 17 above-mentioned "Tribes" has a Tribal Board (Fin. Heimonjohtokunta, Rus. Племенное Руководство) which meets in various cities and towns (called Board Seats) to discuss the needs of the people of their particular "tribe." This group has fourteen members elected in a separate process plus a representative chosen from the Tribal Council members. Each Council member who is on their Board as well is expected to bring a report on any petitioners' requests, protests, and progress reports that have been brought before the board. The Board Seats are as follows: *Finnish Tribe - Kirov *Estonian Tribe - Vaahruše *Karelian Tribe - Usovuori Will eventually be moved to Petrozavodsk. *Russian Tribe - Yekaterinburg *Livonian Tribe - Emva Will eventually be moved to Viipuri. *Ob Ugric Tribe - BereznikiWill eventually be moved to Khanty-Mansiysk. *Komi Tribe - Ukhta *Mordvin Tribe - Orlov Will eventually be moved to Saransk. *Udmurt Tribe - Izhevsk *Mari Tribe - Yoshkar-Ola *East Saami Tribe - Arkhangel'skWill eventually be moved to Murmansk *West Saami Tribe - SeverodvinskWill eventually be moved to Murmansk *Nenets Tribe - Naryan-Mar *Samoyed Tribe - Inta Might eventually be moved to Noyabrsk *Mennonite Tribe - Pazhga *Hungarian Tribe - Trakt *Chuvash Tribe - Cheboksary (ADDED 1 OCTOBER 2009) It is at this level that there is the most interaction between politicians and non-politicians. Petitioners are allowed, and in fact, encouraged, to bring any significant issue of culture, infrastructure, finance, education, environment, or resources (among other important issues) before the Board. As of 15 June 2008, the shortest petitioner session of any board was ten minutes, by a Mr. Yoni Tsyplakov of the Komi tribe, simply requesting funds to rebuild a power main that was severed during Ionizer's attack on Pazhga, which took place 29 March 2008. The longest was four hours by a group of Mordvins that had heard about CCC's attempts to make peace with Beilliran being stymied by a lack of co-operation. The results of this were brought to KingJarkko by Mordvin Council Member Marat Pavlov, and this led to the near-immediate deployment of the Udmurt 1st Battalion into the same nation on reconnaissance. Administrative Divisions Of Uralica Although each of the Uralic Tribes exist throughout Uralica, there are also first-order administrative divisions that have control over areas like maintenance of roads, rails, sidewalks, and other thoroughfares, fire departments, and community initiatives. Since Uralica has grown a fair bit, this was necessary to take some of the workload off of the Tribal Council. Uralica as it is currently sits within the following historical regions: *Komi Republic *Permsky Kray *Arkhangel'sk Oblast *Kirov Oblast *Udmurtiya *Nenetsia *Sverdlovsk Oblast *most of Vologda Oblast *small portions of Khantyia-Mansia and Yamalia Autonomous Okrugs Some maps would indicate that the historical Kostroma Oblast is within Uralica, but Jarkko Salomäki renounced all claims to that land in September of 2009. It should be noted that Uralica will add and redefine counties as it grows, up to the maximum allowed by governmental cap. Officially, there are 18 counties (Russ. Област, Finn. piirikunta) and 9 unitary authorities: Unitary Authorities *Syktyvkar *Perm' *Kirov *Solikamsk-Berezniki *Arkhangel'sk-Severodvinsk *Ukhta-Sosnogorsk *Izhevsk *Vologda *Greater Yekaterinburg *Cherepovets *Nizhny Tagil Counties *East Uralica (Serov) *Northeast Uralica (Vorkuta) *Kotlas (Kotlas) *Mennoland (Pazhga) *Kudymkar Circle (Kudymkar) *Udmurtiya North (Glazov) *Udmurtiya South (Sarapul) *Central Uralica (Öskölömi) *West Uralica (Isoustiuki) *Mari El (Yoshkar-Ola) *Permski Rayon (Krasnokamsk) *Pechora (Pechora) *Woodlands (Veliski) *Nenetsia-North Uralica (Naryan-Mar) *Northwest Uralica (Usovuori) *Komiland (Emva) *Kirovski Rayon (Kirovo-Chepetsk) *Southeast Uralica (Pervouralsk) *Chuvashia (Cheboksary) Military in Uralica Although a Christian nation, Uralica isn't known as a nation to shy away from war, as long as it squares with the Christian principles of the nation as well as the TOOL Charter. This nation has been involved in several conflicts thus far while being ready to serve in all other operations. Article: War History of Uralica All of the Tribes' members between the ages of 17 and 60 are required to serve in the military, however not all are required to fight per se. Squaring with their pacifist beliefs, the Mennonite Tribe's members serve either within the Medical Corps or the Emergency Relief and Human Development Corps (ERHDC) which is primarily used to aid fellow TOOL nations or nations of TOOL allies (in other words, if the treaty is above the level of NAP) in post-war and post-disaster emergency situations. Uralica, being landlocked to date (save for a short time where they had a coast around Arkhangel'sk) lacks a navy, thus leaving five branches of the military. The Kunnianmitali is the highest military honour that can be bestowed upon anyone within Uralica, and is sometimes even awarded to foreign leaders for exemplary battle prowess and co-operation. Uralican Army (Finn. Uralikan Armeija, Russ. Ураликская Армия) The Uralican Army currently comprises 4600 troops of all tribes except Mennonite (for the above-mentioned pacifism reason) and this is grouped into 21 companies ranging from 200 to 250 troops each. Some are unitribal (for example the "Jarkko's Finns" Company) while others are divisions of tribes (the Komi and Permyak Companies, both within the Komi Tribe) and some are multi-tribal ("Bad Company," famous for its exploits against Amerzica, which is a combination of Nenets and Samoyeds). There is also a meritocratic element to the Uralican Army. Those soldiers that prove themselves the most in combat are taken out of their regular division and put into the elite Mindphaser Division. Uralican soldiers have a reputation as being unpredictable by the enemy and incredibly efficient in what they do. Of particular note is Nenets officer Lieutenant-General Kirill Zholtok, who commanded four of Uralica's most storied battles - the Ionic Midnight Surprise in the Ionized-Jelly War, and the Battle of Roponz, Samoyed Raid, and Battle of Cerrito in "A Tale of Two Ghosts." Uralican Air Force (Finn. Uralikan Ilmavoima, Russ. Ураликская Βоенновоздушная Сила) From the beginning of Uralica's military operations, Jarkko Salomäki has always advocated strong air power, and it's shown in every campaign Uralica has been involved in. Many of Uralica's most decorated military men and women are in the Air Force. None more so, though, than Estonian bomb-dropper Kaido Ojastu, who has served in every war Uralica has been involved in and decorated for valour every time. He would become the tenth recipient of the Kunnianmitali after the War of the Coalition. The Uralican air force, while small, is feared tremendously. Nothing served to amplify this fear better than the Kirov Massacre of 11 May 2008, in which 11 aircraft (10 bombers, 1 fighter) were sent into Uralica in a desperate time-buying counterattack by Amerzica, and the fighter was the only aircraft to return. Surprisingly, the launching of missiles is also under the jurisdiction of the Air Force. Uralican Intelligence Agency (Finn. Uralikan Vakoilunvirasto, Russ. Ураликское Агентство Сведении) If Uralica needs to assess threats to its security, these guys are usually the first to be called in, and their campaigns are usually unnoticed until the damage has already been done. Espionage and reconnaissance are the main functions of this branch, however they aren't the only functions. Certain members also serve as links for information between Uralica, other TOOL nations, and any allies during times of war. Uralican Medical Corps (Finn. Uralikan Lääketieteellinen Joukko, Russ. Ураликский Ммедицинский Корпус) These men and women are not counted in the ranks of normal soldiers, but are still considered a part (and a vital one at that) of the military. They have separate honours for outstanding work in the field of military medicine, and outside of war work as doctors, nurses, and surgeons for civilians. Emergency Relief and Human Development Corps (Finn. Hätänavustus- ja Ihmiskehittyminenjoukko, often shortened to "HAIKJou"; Russ. Помощя-Человеческого Развития Корпус, often shortened to ПЧРК) Who says Uralicans know nothing of compassion? Expressing the love of Christ through the short-term rebuilding of war-torn nations as well as long-term projects such as well-digging, provision of proper sanitation, and educational schemes are the callings of this group. It may seem odd to have such a non-military group within the military, however these guys are at the beckon call of TOOL's Department of War to help rebuild TOOL nations that have suffered attack. Depending on the level of damage done, the operations can be quite extensive. All monetary and technological aid provided by Uralica to other nations goes through this branch. Uralica within its alliances Although Uralica's contributions to its alliance have been primarily military, Uralica is also an outspoken part of the internal security process, that tends to act as a voice of concern towards possible violations of the Charter. Uralicans have a tendency to keep an eye on events within the CCC and TOOL closer than the people of most of that alliance's nations, and when something big happens, the number of petitioners sometimes overwhelms the Tribal Boards! Furthermore, the Tribes have garnered a reputation as a nation who has made an art of reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering. This was most evident during the eventually successful Nordic Ghost Conflict. KingJarkko was nominated for the post of Minister of Security in the April quarterly elections, however declined, stating he preferred to remain on the sidelines for the time being. More recently though, he was made Grand Master of the Knights Templar order. The Chief had a reputation for his stern nature in battle, but also for his eagerness to help in any situation regarding the security of the Coalition, a reputation that, according to some CCCers who have been to Uralica, extended to his people as well. This reputation did not go by the wayside when its ruler re-emerged as Jarkko Salomäki in The Order of Light. Although his aptitude for diplomacy had him working vigorously as part of the Foreign Affairs Department, his people did not lose their edge by any means, and nor did he. Since re-convening, Uralica has served TOOL with distinction as a force dedicated to policing the lower-NS ranks of that alliance, and even once stuck its proverbial neck out to aid CCC nation Les Paul Supreme in what Uralica would call Operation: Guardian Angel. This commitment to security of its alliance has earned Uralica plaudits from TOOL as well, not the least of which was its ruler's appointment as Inquisitor. Military is not the only area in which Uralica is known. Jarkko Salomäki is also known as someone who knows his way around diplomacy, and this is also true of several of his Council members. Uralica's first well-known diplomatic role was as ambassador nation from CCC to TOOL. Since then, they have served as ambassadors to 3 other alliances from CCC and a further eleven from TOOL (including CCC, making Uralica the first nation to serve in both directions and one of only a few nations to serve as an ambassador both to and from CCC, and to and from TOOL.) Also, very recently, Uralica has taken on the role of bringing nations together in trade arrangements. This initiative has been largely run by Bolak Corp.'s staff. Sport In Uralica Although a young nation, Uralica already has many sporting opportunities, and has already developed some world-class talent despite the small size of the nation. Soccer is particularly popular, as is ice hockey. Ice Hockey Ice Hockey was the first sport in Uralica to officially be declared professional, in mid-April. Despite the fact that it was spring in Uralica, the hockey season kicked off immediately. The Uralican Ice Hockey League (Finn. Uralikan Jääkiekkoliiga, Russ. Ураликская Хоккей-Лига) has ten teams that currently compete in a quadruple round-robin tournament. See article: Uralican Ice Hockey League The most notable Uralican ice hockey player is the so-called "Mari Gretzky," forward Matvey Kolpakov, who in the first quarter of the season (9 games) already has 12 goals and 11 assists. There are other talented hockey players from Uralica as well. Finn forward Marko Suominen, Udmurt forward Lazar Fedorov, Mennonite forward Kurtis Schaeffer, Estonian defender Vaino Lepp, Livonian defender Andi Kosk, and Mari goaltender Vasily Golubayev are among the best. See article: Uralican National Men's ice hockey team Soccer (Football) Despite being a relatively frigid nation, Uralica's most popular sport is soccer (football). KingJarkko himself is a left-back on one of the more popular teams, Sikkivukarin Palloseura (SiPS), and also captains the Uralican men's national football team. The Football League itself was founded 30 May 2008 but isn't set to begin play until 18 March 2009. Still, the League's teams have kept their skills honed by playing friendly matches against a variety of clubs from the CCC and other friendly alliances, most notably the New Polar Order and the Greenland Republic. Also, one team, Sikkivukarin Palloseura, has competed in Liga Mundo. Upon the league's foundation, 36 teams entered three divisions, best known by their Finnish designations - the Bolakliiga, the Ykkönen, and the Kakkonen. The League is controlled by the Uralican Football Federation. (UPL) See article: Uralikan Jalkapalloliiga See article: Uralican men's national football team Team Handball Another sport that has a surpisingly strong following in Uralica is team handball, which is played indoors. Fast-paced and exciting but not particularly well-known, it is Uralica's official indoor sport, governed by the Uralikan Käsipalloliitto (UKPL). There are recreational handball clubs all over Uralica, but there also exists a 16-team professional Uralican Handball League. Other Sports Although the above three are the most popular sports in Uralica, they are by no means the only sports played in Uralica. Most major team sports have a following in some part of Uralica. The fourth-most popular sport in Uralica is basketball, which has at least a semi-professional team in every major Uralican centre. Jarkko Salomäki, being 6'7", has been known to play in the odd amateur basketball game, although his commitment to professional football (soccer) prevents him from serious commitment to basketball. Rugby union, rugby sevens, indoor volleyball, and floor hockey are also popular. Baseball and softball are played in the south of the nation during the summer. As for individual sports, the most popular ones in Uralica are tennis (indoor during the winter) and cross-country skiing, given the flatness of the Uralican terrain. They field a fairly full team to Winter Olympic-style competitions, with alpine skiing and snowboarding being the only areas really lacking representation given the fundamental lack of facilities for those sports (although it should be noted that once Uralica's borders reach Inta, this will change). Jarkko Salomäki is an accomplished biathlete, and there are numerous solid cross-country skiers, speed skaters, and surprisingly, ski-jumpers, in Uralica. One non-Olympic sport that is really popular in the north and centre of the nation is dog-sled racing. Uralican participation in summer individual sports is slightly sparser, but still draws some plaudits. Uralican tennis players have always been respected for their skill, and they also have fairly solid badminton and squash players as well. Athletics-wise, their strong suit is long-distance running. Whether this comes from the tradition of having Uralican troops run a single lap around Syktyvkar is being debated. Combat sports are a strong suit of Uralicans in summer participation. Uralicans rank in the top five in every martial art in TOOL, including ranking first in freestyle and Muay Thai kickboxing, and taekwondo. They also have an exceptional shooting team. Uralican men are generally weak in the pool, but the women are fairly solid. Gymnastics is near-nonexistent in Uralica. Uralica has a surprisingly good road-cycling team with many Uralicans mountain-training in various mountain ranges outside of Uralica during the year, but their real strong point in cycling is in the velodrome, where they are feared for their skill. Media in Uralica Despite its small size, Uralica already has various media outlets. Uralica has a national daily newspaper, The Uralican Daily News. It is in print in all thirty-one of Uralica's official languages. It also has various city and town newspapers. The major cities and urban areas (Perm', Kirov, Syktyvkar, Ukhta, Glazov, and Berezniki-Solikamsk) tend to have news in print in all 31 of Uralica's official languages, while smaller cities and towns will have news in print in English, Russian, Finnish, and the most prevalent one or two local languages. For example, in Trakt, there is new in print in English, Russian, Finnish, and Hungarian. In Pechora, it is in English, Finnish, Russian, Komi (Zyrian), Nenets, Selkup, and Nganasan. There are also several television stations, primarily based in the major cities and urban areas. Although the dominant number of networks are in the three most-spoken languages in Uralica (English, Finnish, and Russian) there are also two stations exclusively in Komi dialects (based in Syktyvkar and Perm'), one Udmurt station (in Glazov), one Nenets station (in Ukhta), and various channels offering programming in multiple languages. Every town with more than 500 people is, by law, required to have at least one radio station. At the height of Uralica's progress, Perm' had no fewer than twenty. Culture of Uralica Uralica, with its various ethnicities and languages coming together under a unified banner, has a wonderfully rich culture rife with blending of various traditions together to make something new and interesting. There is no greater example of this than in music, where "ethnic jam bands" are commonplace, and one can hear a Russian balalaika, a Finnish kantele, and other traditional and mainstream instruments coming together to make something that sounds distinctly Uralican... and sounds good to boot. Architecture is quite modern on the larger scale, however older Russian and Gothic architecture is often seen in the major cities as well. One very noteworthy example of architectural diversity in Uralica, though, is the Uralic Cultural Centre in Syktyvkar. Currently, stage tends to be more prominent than film in Uralica, but the nation has still produced some noteworthy film stars such as Zuzana Golubovskaya, Pentti Korhonen, Rutger Holman, and Aleksandra Khrunova. In particular, the Uralican Jewish culture has made a major impact on stage production in the area, with numerous comedic plays being penned and released (along with a few tragedies and the odd history) every year. The Shakespearean tradition is hardly overlooked in Uralica. The aforementioned Holman got his start in a production of Hamlet, while Khrunova has the nickname of "The Saami Siren" by playing numerous female characters, including Viola, Lady MacBeth, and Juliet. Music is a permeating force like no other in Uralica (besides religion). According to a recent census, 100% of Uralican households owned at least three musical instruments. The professional music scene in Uralica is almost as profitable as tourism, making it the third-most important aspect of the Uralican economy, behind tourism and mining. Uralican Classical Tradition Uralican classical music is highly sought-after in the Robertian classical music community, whether it simply be performances of the great masters in the Filharmonia by any of Uralica's ten registered full symphony orchestras (see below), or original works by some of Uralica's up-and-coming composers, of which even their own ruler is one. *Uralican Symphony Orchestra (Syktyvkar) *Syktyvkar Philharmonic Orchestra (Syktyvkar) *Uralikan Yliopisto Symphony Orchestra (Syktyvkar) *Ukhta Radio Symphony Orchestra (Ukhta) *Kirovski Philharmonic Orchestra (Kirov) *Arkhangel'ski Symphony Orchestra (Arkhangel'sk) *Permyak Symphony Orchestra (Perm') *Permyak Philharmonic Orchestra (Perm') *Southeast Uralica Symphony Orchestra (Solikamsk) *Pechorski Radio Symphony Orchestra (Pechora) The Uralican classical tradition shuns pure atonalism as emotion-deprived, and is more in favour of Neo-Classical and Post-Romantic style. One of the great "master women" of Robertian-era classical music is neo-classicist Sirkka Numminen, whose pieces Ylistä Kristukset, Kotimani Uralikka (a tone-poem), and Aro ("Tundra") have earned her worldwide renowned. Ruslan Kamyshin and Martin Kosk are the best-known Post-Romantics from Uralica, having penned hundreds of pieces - Kamyshin is more an orchestral specialist while Kosk focusses on the piano à la Claude Débussy. A third form of classical music has also emerged to the forefront - Symphonic Electronica. Jarkko Salomäki and Jyrki Koistinen are the best-known subscribers to this genre of music, with Salomäki's 27-part Elämäni Musiikissa symphony (under the handle of DC76) and Koistinen's tone poem Freedom being the most celebrated works in this regard. Uralican Mainstream Music Uralica also has a thriving mainstream music scene. There are a great many rock and metal bands that come out of Uralica, but none can compare to the success of Christian metal act Pelastus. The Ukhta-based band combines elements of death metal, thrash, and cyber-metal to convey a message of hope even in the face of crushing despair. They are far and away the highest-selling Christian band on Planet Bob, and certainly Uralica's most popular musical act. There are also a few other high-selling Uralican rock/metal acts. Jarkko Salomäki himself is in one of these, industrial/metal sextet Digitoxicosis, which is based in Syktyvkar and is not afraid to delve into any form of industrial music, with or without guitars. There is also Kirov-based Cold Steel, who are more strictly thrash. Most popular "non-metal" rock bands in Uralica subscribe to the more visceral, emotional Post-Grunge movement, both Christian (End of Sorrows, The Myllyjärvi Family) and non-Christian (The Slashers, Konduktor, The Lynxes). There is also one particularly popular "old-school punk" band called Cranked, who has gained a sizable cult following throughout Planet Bob's underground rock scene. Aside from rock, there is also a booming electronic music scene. The TranceAddicts Club in Kirov is often referred to as "the crucible of Uralican electronica" because of the number of acts that get their start there, and because of the club's policy of always including a certain percentage of new music every night. And as its name implies, a great deal of trance music has been spawned in this club. Probably the best-known act is Ruslan Tikhonov, a Mari psy-trance artist, but there are also hard trance acts such as Ashford Road, Sointula (Jarkko Salomäki and Jeffrey Laukkanen, two Sointula Finns), and Kari Ojala, dark trance acts such as Nikolay Shevchuk and Rutger Guussen, and popular vocal trance group Krystallite. Ambient music is also popular. Besides the aforementioned symphonic electronica, there are also dark ambient and ambient pop projects, such as Tundra Sounds (another Salomäki project, this time with Marko Lehtonen), Ethereal Vortex (a Dark Ambient project based in Perm'), and Kven virtuoso Mika Ukkonen. Finally, there is much in the way of industrial music in Uralica, predominantly EBM but also expanding into the range of industrial metal, industrial techno, and even martial industrial. The best-known purely industrial (that is, not including guitars except via sampling) is Enemy's Enemy, a Jewish EBM group from Syktyvkar. Bane of the Machine and Blacklight Theory are also EBM. Digital Exorcism is a pioneering Christian martial industrial group from Kotlas, while Sonic Terrorist Network is a grating industrial techno act from Kirov. Most urban music listening in Uralica is from abroad, and it is predominantly "Ol' School R&B," according to Uralic Music Today magazine's survey of Uralicans' musical preferences. There are a few local hip-hop groups, but none of these have had much success outside of Uralica. (Granted, The Bashkir Bwoyz and Urban Evangelists are popular in Uralica.) Resources and Finance of Uralica Uralica is blessed with a multitude of natural resources, although many of them are kept within Uralica, notably the wheat trade, which halted exporting upon the disappearance of KingJarkko (as he was then known) on 19 September 2008. The fertile chernozem soils of the southeast lend themselves well to grain-growing, and wheat, oats, and barley are grown for domestic consumption. There is also some cattle and dairy farming. The main exports of Uralica, on the other hand, are primarily gleaned via mining. Uralica once had a booming marble trade, but even after the expiration of the Ural Marble Belt, they found even more abundant sources of iron, and to a lesser extent silver, beneath this. Beyond this, Uralica is one of TOOL's (and Planet Bob's) leading producers of non-metallic raw materials, which include quartz, mica, and ingredients necessary for concrete, among many other things. Because of its diverse yet unified culture reflected in architecture, music, art, dance, and writing, tourism is also a major part of Uralica, and several tourist-friendly cities are within the nation, most notably Syktyvkar, Berezniki, and Kirov. Uralica has a thriving music industry, with outside investment in classical, Christian, and mainstream secular music causing a boom in Uralican record sales in the entire region. Finally, cleanup of the rivers that flow into the nation (mainly the Pechora but also the Sysola, Mezen', and other minor rivers) has provided Uralica with a decently reliable source of drinking water. The largest corporation in Uralica is Bolak Corp., which is first and foremost a mining company, but also deals in construction, manufacturing of industrial consumer goods, and even the sponsorship of various sporting schemes (most notably the Bolakliiga). Another large company is the leading financial firm, the Uralikan Ykköspankki. Education in Uralica The people of Uralica have a tendency to take education very seriously. To this end, the Uralican school system is 14 years - Kindergarten through Grade 13 - and they boast Planet Bob's most prestigious Christian university, Uralikan Yliopisto, which offers a broad range of courses and programs, but is also known for the fact that its programs run year-round. Much of the nation's education is based on the educational system of Old British Columbia, however much of it has been adapted by Dr. Ovdey Shlomov as well as Jarkko Salomäki. Grade-Level Education Grade-level education in Uralica is split into three parts: elementary school (K-6), middle school (7-9), and secondary school (10-13). In some smaller towns, the middle school and secondary school will share a building. In elementary school, subjects are gradually introduced over time in no rigid structure of "this subject has this teacher" and so forth, although there is always a separate teacher for music, and for Grades 5 and 6, computer technology. Students are immersed in all three of the major languages of Uralica - English, Finnish, and Russian, at an early age. Middle school marks the separation of subjects into separate classes and a rigid timetable, which runs on a modified semester system. Students will take five classes per semester, of a wide range of topics: *English/Finnish/Russian (at least two of these is required) *French *German *at least 2 other Uralic Tribal languages (will vary depending on where the school is located) *Social Studies (required) *Science (required) *Mathematics (required) *Physical Education (required) *Musical courses **Band (practically universal) **Orchestra (in larger communities) **Music Theory/Composition *Visual Arts *Drama *Dance (small communities will usually lack this) *Woodwork *Metalwork *Drafting *Carpentry *Mechanics (small-scale) *Drafting *Sewing *Cooking *Accounting *Computer Studies *Typing *Career Planning *Religious Studies Secondary School is the apex of grade-school education and also runs on a modified semester system, but there is far more specification upon entry, school days are longer, and there are six classes per semester instead of five. The classes available are as follows: *English Language *English Literature *Finnish Language *Finnish Literature *Russian Language *Russian Literature *French *German *At least 2 more Tribal Languages (will vary depending on where the school is located) *At least 2 more Tribal Literatures (will vary depending on where the school is located) *History *Geography *Psychology (grades 12 and 13) *Law (grades 12 and 13) *Linguistics (grade 13) *Biology *Anatomy (grades 12 and 13) *Chemistry *Physics *Geology *Astronomy (only tends to be in larger cities and only in grades 12 and 13) *Computer Science *Mathematics *Pre-Calculus (grades 12 and 13) *Accounting *Religious Studies *Physical Education *Musical Courses **Band **Orchestra **Stage Band **Music Theory/Composition **Computer and Electronic Music (only tends to be in larger cities) *Visual Arts *Sculpture *Drama *Acting *Dance *Woodwork *Carpentry *Metalwork *Welding (anyone completing Welding 13 gets a Welding Class A ticket as well as their diploma) *Mechanics (small-scale and large-scale) *Drafting *Sewing *Textiles *Culinary Arts *Typing *Career Planning The Secondary curriculum requires the following for graduation: Grade 10: * Language and Literature from two of English, Finnish and Russian * 1 other Language (Tribal Literature counts toward this as well) * 1 Social Studies class (History or Geography) * 1 Science class (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Computer Science) * Mathematics * Physical Education * 1 Trades class (Woodwork, Carpentry, Metalwork, Welding, Mechanics, Drafting, Accounting, Typing, Sewing, Textiles, Culinary Arts) * 1 Fine Arts class (Music, Visual Arts, Sculpture, Drama, Acting, Dance, Woodwork, Metalwork) * Religious Studies Grade 11: * Language and Literature from two of English, Finnish and Russian * 1 other Language (Tribal Literature counts toward this as well) * 1 Social Studies class (History or Geography) * 1 Science class (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Computer Science) * Mathematics * Physical Education * 1 Trades class (Woodwork, Carpentry, Metalwork, Welding, Mechanics, Drafting, Accounting, Typing, Sewing, Textiles, Culinary Arts) * 1 Fine Arts class (Music, Visual Arts, Sculpture, Drama, Acting, Dance, Woodwork, Metalwork) * Religious Studies Grade 12: * Language and Literature from two of English, Finnish and Russian * 1 other Language (Tribal Literature counts toward this as well) * 1 Social Studies class (History, Geography, Law, or Psychology) * 1 Science class (Biology, Anatomy, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Computer Science) * Mathematics or Pre-Calculus * Physical Education * 1 Trades class (Woodwork, Carpentry, Metalwork, Welding, Mechanics, Drafting, Accounting, Typing, Sewing, Textiles, Culinary Arts) * 1 Fine Arts class (Music, Visual Arts, Sculpture, Drama, Acting, Dance, Woodwork, Metalwork) * Religious Studies Grade 13: * Language and Literature from two of English, Finnish and Russian Although there are no requirements outside of language for Grade 13 in Uralica, what someone actually does with their time will determine their suitability for further education. Many academic courses have a National Exam: *English Language 13 *English Literature 13 *Finnish Language 13 *Finnish Literature 13 *Russian Language 13 *Russian Literature 13 *French 13 *German 13 *All Tribal Languages 13 *Udmurt Literature 13 *Komi Literature 13 *Hungarian Literature 13 *Biology 13 *Anatomy 13 *Chemistry 13 *Physics 13 *Geology 13 *Mathematics 13 *Pre-Calculus 13 *History 13 *Geography 13 *Psychology 13 Surprisingly enough, Music courses also have National Exams, however this is run independently through Uralikan Yliopisto's School of Music. Students that fare well enough are given a recommendation to join, although they are not obliged to do so. Extracurricular Education Given Uralica's highly musical culture, many students will spend the day they aren't at church or synagogue, or one night a week during the school week, at several music schools that are set up throughout the nation. Private music schools get government funding but are free to follow their own curriculum, whereas public music schools are satellites of the government-run musical education agencies. Higher Education Uralica has eight institutes of higher education - one university, four colleges, one technical institute, and two conservatories. Uralikan Yliopisto is by far the most prestigious institute of higher education in Uralica and quite possibly the most prestigious in the Ural-Volga area of the Former Soviet Union. Many of Uralica's most famous people have gone through the halls of the grand university, whose main campus is in Syktyvkar but also has satellite campuses in Uralica's other cities, most notably a 5000-seater in Perm'. The four colleges independent of each other are Uralican State College in Kirov, Uralikskaya Akademiya in Sosnogorsk, Magyar College in Trakt, and South-East College in Serov. The Bolak Corp. Institute of Technology is a very recent addition to Uralica's advanced education system, and as the name implies, is completely run by Bolak Corp.. For the most part, it focusses on areas that that particular company specialises in, however it does have a partnership with Uralikan Yliopisto's Faculties of Social Sciences and Engineering because of their programs in Environmental Studies, and Architectural, Electrical, and Computer Engineering. The centre of musical education in Uralica is The Uralikan Yliopisto School of Music. However, there are two other conservatories, that together with UYSM comprise the membership of the Uralican Board of Musical Education. The Tundra Conservatory in Pechora and the Sibelius Academy of Uralica in Kirov were both founded quite recently and are the other two members. Those wishing to train in Law will go abroad, usually to Pyhäjärvi, to study, as there are no law schools in Uralica. There is also a small yeshiva (Jewish seminary) in Berezniki. Important events in Uralica's history Main Article: Important events in Uralica's history Footnotes OOC Notes *In RPing city/county/UA population, I use CNRP rules - in-game X 1000. KingJarkko 01:53, October 12, 2009 (UTC) Category:Uralica